Aftermath
by SilverDawn2010
Summary: Post Chronicles:TDB. Being on the same dimension-hopping spaceship with 9 other people for a full day was starting to wear everyone thin. And then there was... her. SonicxAmy, TailsxCream, ShadowxRouge, KnucklesxShade.
1. Dexterous

Okay, I want to say a few things before I get right into this story. First off, this is set after Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, while everyone is riding back home after defeating Ix. There will be four couples = four chapters (SonicxAmy, TailsxCream, ShadowxRouge, and KnucklesxShade.

What inspired me to do this? Well... I sorta wanted to branch out and do other couples that I don't usually write (sorry my fellow Knouge fans... I still support the couple but wanted to try something different. I'm not leaving KnucklesxRouge completely!)

Spoiler Alert!

I'm starting out with a couple very familiar to me: SonAmy. Those of you who've played the game know that there is a romantic subplot between them: at the very beginning, Amy claims that she finally has a boyfriend "Dexter." Based on what you choose to have Sonic say to Amy throughout the game, there could be a sweet little ending scene where Amy says that Dexter isn't real, she made him up to get Sonic jealous, and Sonic admits that he_ does care for Amy_ (EEEEEEK!). That's one thing that I like about Chronicles: it's more open-ended then usual, and you get to pick what Sonic would say.

But anyway, I'm rambling. Assume that in this timeline, Sonic wasn't the total sweetheart that us SonAmy fanatics made him out to be when we played through, but nor was he the total jerk option, either. He was just typical Sonic: impatient, teasing Amy lightly but not being mean, in general just avoiding the topic. The thing is, we don't see those two talking together all that much in any canon media (if you don't count Sonic X), so... their relationship "off screen" is sorta ambiguous and it's hard to nail their friendship. He was nice enough that Amy asked to talk to him before they left to invade Nocturne, but Sonic said they didn't have time; so the two hedgehogs didn't have the "Dexter talk" yet. So here they are after the battle.

Anyway, I've said way too much but I wanted to explain what in the world was going on. Enjoy!

...xxx...

Chapter 1: Dexterous

...xxx...

One major downside to traveling across dimensions in a super cool spaceship was that Sonic found himself unable to ever get _away_ from everyone and get some simple _privacy_. Sure, when they'd stopped at the different planetoids he'd been able stretch his legs and do some running and exploring, but the traveling times? He was literally stuck in the same "boat", squished up close with 9 other people. While most of them were his friends and he didn't mind them, spending a long time with his odd, mismatched companions was wearing _everyone_ thin. Whether is was Big's oblivious blurted out comments or Shadow's sarcastic ones, Omega's computerized monotone or Rouge flirting with everyone having a Y chromosome. Atleast Eggman had decided to stay back home, so they were spared from his hideously brilliant comments. But oddly enough, among the 10 very different passengers aboard the Cyclone, there was one thing in agreement: everyone could not wait to get back home and to their separate lives.

_Ah, the things we heroes put up with_, Sonic thought to himself as he slinked out of the main room to the back hallway, pausing to lean against the wall right outside the engine room which held the Master Emerald. It would be nice to rest up, though, now that he'd done a serious number on Ix.

Plus, he just had an odd urge to think. If Sonic couldn't run on this dimension-hopping ship, then he would have to do _something_ while he waited.

And there was something that was gnawing at the back of his mind, that he'd pushed away as a matter of necessity over the past day. Lately, he just hadn't had _time_ for any distractions: 4000 year old echidnas and the Twilight Cage were bad enough. But now that all that was over, and he couldn't run around Mobius yet... there was nothing else to do but face what had been bothering him.

Amy. With someone else.

_Now, hold up, hold up, _Sonic mentally protested as he raised his left sneaker to rest it against the wall and closed his eyes in agitation. Some rest this would be, if his mind refused to cooperate. _ Heck, who am I kidding? She hasn't moved on from me. Like that would **ever** happen. Ha. I mean, honestly... nothing is going to make that girl quit loving me. Nothing. She still does, Dexter's just a fake, to get me jealous. Ha. Good plan, Amy, but..._

_Nope. Didn't work.  
_

It wasn't surprising that Amy would try something like this. It really wasn't. What _was_ surprising was how much he thought about it during the trip. In the back of his mind, when they'd had a few minutes break while Tails or Eggman was fixing up something... Sonic couldn't stop himself from looking over at Amy, trying to picture her with someone else. He found that he laughed at the idea at first - Amy had her heart set on him, didn't she? Yeah, it seemed there was nothing he could do to get the girl _off_ of him. Sonic just couldn't wrap his brain around the idea of Amy being with anybody but... himself.

No no, bad word choice. Sonic couldn't even picture her with _him_. But still... it was a bit unsettling to think that Amy had... given up on him. He'd always assumed that Amy would always be there for him and now... was she really giving all those looks, hugs, and attention to another guy?

Absurd.

Un_think_able.

_It just wasn't possible._

Dexter was a fake. He _had_ to be.

Amy would never, _ever_ give up on him.

No, Sonic wasn't jealous. He was just... intrigued. But also a little hurt. It was a big blow to his pride to lose such a... _dedicated_ fan. He'd kinda... missed her. A little.

Of course, there'd be others, right? A girl... for him. Someday, right? He had mixed feelings on the subject. Sonic certainly didn't want to "settle down" now at the ripe age of 15, when there were bad guys to fight and worlds to be explored. But... maybe someday.

And, when the topic had rarely surfaced in his brain, he'd always assumed that Amy would be there, waiting.

Had the girl truly moved on? It was absurd, really. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder.

Why was that prospect so troubling? Amy had never been one to give up, at anything. She was as persistent and determined as they came. And sure, she'd still been her typical fiery self on this trip, but the way she'd acted around him recently: embarrassed, apologetic, shy almost... it was very unlike her. The whole thing just reeked of deception.

And Sonic didn't like being lied to.

Yeah, that was it. That was what was bothering him. Not that Amy might possibly leave him, or that she wasn't stroking his ego with her attention... it was that Amy wasn't being Amy.

_You keep telling yourself that._

He shook his head and let out a sigh, reminding himself why he didn't allow himself to think too much. Some of the crazy things he thought about if given the chance would drive anyone bananas. If Amy really had moved on, so should he. So, another topic...

"Sonic?"

He almost jumped out of his fur at her voice, sending him forward on his two feet as he tensed up. So much for another topic... but while part of him groaned internally at her presence, part of him was reminded that she _had _wanted to talk to him before they'd left for Nocturne (which he'd denied based on the bad timing)... and he did kinda sorta owe her that, right?

"Sonic, what are you doing back here by yourself?" Amy asked him as she approached, wearing a simple, guarded smile and shiny dark green eyes that contrasted yet complimented the pink quills that brushed her face.

"Just... needed to get away from everyone," he admitted coolly and allowed himself to lean backwards again.

She let out an adorable giggle. "I know what you mean. Rouge is driving me _crazy_. She thinks she's all that. And she flirts with _everyone. _Ugh.." Amy pouted and paused about a few feet in front of Sonic, letting her eyes quickly drift over his body. She had to resist a serious urge to wrap the hedgie in a hug.

"Yeah, even me," Sonic said and cringed.

"You don't like _her_ do you?" Amy asked, trying her best to act innocent, though her eyes betrayed her.

"She's like twice my age, Amy. And I'm not Knux, _he's_ into older girls. But anyway, did ya need something?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Oh..." Amy hesitated, looking down at her golden bracelets for a second. "I just wanted to tell you... you were really great back there, against Ix."

"I know," Sonic said and couldn't resist his cocky grin and a pose. It was nice to have Amy complimenting him again. "Ix sure put up a fight but... we won like always. Piece of cake" A sudden idea formed in his mind, and he ran with it. "You weren't too bad yourself, swinging that hammer like nobody's business."

Her eyes lit up, and Sonic smiled wider in victory. _Too easy._

Amy blushed deeply but grinned. "Oh thanks, Sonic, it was nothing!" She couldn't help but give him a nice, friendly hug, relishing his soft fur brushing her cheek.

"Yeah, and I'm sure _Dexter _will be proud of you when you tell him all about it," Sonic said, trying not to sound_ too_ smug.

_ Busted._

Amy's mouth formed an O and she pulled away, turning an even darker shade of crimson. "Y-yeah, I'm sure he will," she muttered sheepishly, not quite meeting Sonic's jade gaze as she rubbed her chin.

A smirk carved up Sonic's muzzle. _Score._ "Sooo... when we get back home, will ya finally let me meet 'im?" Sonic readjusted his head to meet Amy's eyes.

She glanced into his lime eyes. "Why do you want to meet him so bad? You're not jealous, are you?" _Too fast, too fast, Amy..._

"Well... not really. Just wondering... what made ya change yer mind."

Amy was trying so hard to read his expression, but Sonic had stuck a finger under his nose, his gloved hand hiding half of his face. While she could detect a softness in his gaze, Sonic was such a goshdarn puzzle that she couldn't make heads or tails of what he was feeling. Typical.

She spoke.

"I..." _I didn't change my mind, Sonic._ "I... he was just really nice to me, Sonic. One day he asked me out and I thought why not give him a chance? And I didn't regret it, I mean, he's just been really nice to me, and he does stuff for me all the time, like buying me flowers and candy...he's just really sweet."

"I see," Sonic said in a monotone. "So... what does he look like then?"

"Oh," Amy forced a smile, her mind going into overtime trying to come up with a description. "He's _gorgeous_ Sonic."

The blue hedgehog wrinkled his nose at the feminine adjective, but Amy continued, "He has the most wonderful shade of fur, deep green eyes that make me want to _melt_-"

Sonic raised a brow, just now getting the jealousy symbolism. "Green eyes, huh?"

Amy nodded and studied Sonic's own dazzling pair. "Yep. And long, smooth, quills-"

"A hedgehog?"

"Of course!"

"What color did you say his fur was?"

Amy stumbled. "Uh... why do you care so much, anyway?"

Sonic shrugged. "Just in case I run into him, I'll ask what's up. Anyway... I'm glad you're happy, Amy, but..." he hesitated for just a moment. "You know... you don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not lying to you, I really do have a boyfriend!" she snapped, though her face had turned bright red at the accusation, and the lead weight of guilt tugged at her heart.

She watched his jade eyes search hers. Crap. It simply wasn't fair. Why could he read her like a book, and Amy couldn't even crack the cover open on Sonic's? He was a mystery... yet a flash of annoyance in his eyes made Amy realize she'd made a huge mistake. Sonic had always been big on honesty. And she'd lied to him big time.

"Okay, Amy if you say so," Sonic continued and rolled his eyes a little. "But what was it that you wanted to talk about earlier?"

Her perpetual blush returned in remembrance of that time, and she glanced back down at her shoe. "Oh... that. I-it's nothing Sonic... I just..." she hesitated, realizing that at this point, if she shared what she was going to say, her feelings... it would most certainly condemn her. She'd just insisted Dexter was real, and now if she told Sonic differently, that her heart had never left him...there was no way he'd hold her now.

_This is so not the way to win his heart. Man... why did I have to go and do this? I've ruined my chance... maybe when we get back, I'll have to make up some story about how Dexter dumped me or cheated on me while I was away, and then Sonic will comfort me, hug me, and..._

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them away, ashamed.

"What is it?" Sonic asked gently, unsettled at her distress. Never would he have thought he'd have to prompt Amy Rose to share her feelings.

She looked back up at him and let out a sigh. "Oh... it's just... back there, I was thinking, you know, we were going into serious danger and I... thought it might really be the end, Sonic. And I... wanted to tell you, even though I have a boy-... well, just in case anything happened to you, I wanted you to know that... I cared for you..." her voice was a mere whisper now, though she was shaking with emotion. Though she'd finally told the truth, Amy couldn't meet Sonic's eyes.

"Buut, it doesn't matter now," she said quickly, still staring at the floor and missing Sonic's reaction. "Because we're all safe, thanks to you, and.. never mind, Sonic... just... take care." She said and turned away from him, putting one boot forward to walk away.

Sonic just blinked and stared after her, wondering why his heart still hadn't recovered from _"I care for you." _The muscle was still pounding in his chest, almost painfully. So... she_ s_till cared for him. She hadn't given up on him.

_I knew it._

Still... as he watched her walk farther and farther away, his heart twinged. This conversation wasn't over... it couldn't be. His softer side was exposed, touched... and as annoying as Amy could be, she was still a good friend. His morals and his heart wouldn't let her walk away sad.

It wouldn't take all that much to get her to stop walking. He knew that. All it would take was a simple, 'wait' from him or running in her path...

_Don't let her get away, Sonic._

_What does it matter if she does? What she wants and what I want, they're too different. It wouldn't work out.  
_

_Then why is my heart beating so fast? And why was I so unsettled at losing her? And why am I thinking so much..._

"Amy."

The word was spoken spoken softly and the only reason the pink hedgehog heard it was because she always had her ears trained for his voice. She stopped and risked a peek at him over her shoulder, wondering how the cocky expression had evaporated so quickly. A gust of wind blew past her, and she turned back around to see Sonic standing right in front of her. He wore just a gentle smile, but it was twinged with a hint of his attitude.

"You never give up, do ya? Even with a boyfriend you still care about me."

The last syllable came out slightly higher, making the statement seem like a question.

It was Amy's turn to smile. "Sonic, you know I'll _always_ care about you, but the real question is... do_ you_ care about _me_?"

Aw _man_, he_ so _should have seen that one coming. But it hit him like a ton of bricks and his eyes flew open.

Part of him wanted to blurt out, _"well jeez, Amy, of course I do. You're a friend, right? I care about all my friends." _

But the words got caught in his throat as soon as he looked into her eyes. Maybe Amy was a bad actor, but he was just as bad, wasn't he? Sonic had always made a point to tell the truth. He knew exactly what she wanted him to say - that he did indeed care for her. She was silently begging him to say it.

And... he did, didn't he? Care for her. Maybe it wasn't a lot, or nowhere near what she felt for him... but it was something. She'd been in his mind way too much over this trip for there to be no place in his heart for her. While part of him was glad at first that she'd stopped being so... aggressive, he'd come to miss the old Amy. But was it because her distance was a blow to his pride, or because he really did care about her?

Sonic didn't know. Or, at least, he didn't want to admit it.

But saying that he cared about her... that wouldn't cost anything, would it? And it was the truth.

"Amy...I do care about you," he said, looking right into her eyes. "A lot."

Her mouth dropped about an inch but she quickly closed it as her eyes became emerald saucers.

"Really? You... _really_?" she asked, trying to make sure this wasn't a daydream.

But no, there was true blue Sonic, in the flesh, every handsome inch of him - with his muzzle carrying a hue that rivaled his sneakers.

"Yeah," he said casually, chuckling and shifting his weight to release a_ ton_ of nervous energy. "But it doesn't matter does it? With you having Dexter-"

"Sonic," Amy whispered and stepped closer to him. "I-I didn't know you cared about me..."

"Aw, Amy..." His muzzle flaming, Sonic backed up, regretting for a second that he'd said anything. Amy had been so close to him he'd felt her cherry breath on his mouth. Just her presence made his heart leap and twirl and break dance. He'd always despised that nervous feeling that only Amy could give him... only Amy...

She was still close to him, blinking back a mixture of sad and happy tears. "Sonic, listen. I... didn't know you liked me. I..." she bit her lip. "Look, y-y-you were right about Dexter, okay? I made him up so you would be jealous but I... you said you cared about me and I..." she sighed. "look, I'm sorry that I lied to you, I shouldn't have... But...I"m really happy you like me at least a_ little _bit! I didn't know and I just... wanted to make you jealous and..."

_It worked. _

"Amy, listen." Sonic reached forward to gingerly take her hands, making Amy's heart leap in excitement at his touch. "You don' t need to go making up boyfriends, okay? You'll get a real one soon enough."

Her eyes glimmered with hope and it made Sonic smile to see her happy again.

"And I hate ta say it, but I was right, wasn't I?" He said smugly, glad they were back on normal terms.

Amy smiled and squeezed Sonic's hands, still floating on a cloud. "_Yeah_... but were you right when you said you cared about me?"

" 'Course I was, Amy. I really do care about you. I-"

He froze as the next thing he knew, Amy was pressing her sweet lips against his, kissing him. Sonic stiffened up in surprise, but her lips were so soft that they left him paralyzed. Her hands found their way up to his neck and shoulders, gently grasping them as her lips continued to work their magic. Wow... her lips were so incredibly soft as they dexterously kissed his own. _Man..._

When Amy finally pulled away, she couldn't contain her grin as she beheld Sonic's bewildered, blushing expression. She couldn't believe Sonic had just let her kiss him. And he looked_ so cute_. "Thanks Sonic, It's good to know that you care. I'm... _really happy_," she said, moving her hand up to caress his face.

"I-you-don't-yer wel-what?" he stuttered, still in awe, his muzzle flaming and his heart incredibly warm with... pleasure.

"Or should _I _say you're welcome?" she giggled and let go of him, spinning around in complete ecstasy to head back to the others. "I can't wait to tell Cream about my new _boyfriend!_" she squealed and after giving Sonic another wink, she ran off to do just that.

His mouth still agape, Sonic watched Amy turn the corner. He ran his tongue over his lips, still able to detect Amy's lingering taste. What just happened? Did she just... kiss him? And he'd let her? And it had felt way too amazing? Man... what had he been missing out on?

Still in a daze, Sonic shook his head and stayed put leaning against the wall, unable to stop a stupid grin from crawling up his face.

Who would've thought one of Amy's schemes would actually _work_?

...xxx...

**I took some of the dialogue from the game, but modified it to make it flow a little better, I think. Eeek, hope you all liked it! Next up is the TailsxCream chapter...**


	2. Cyclone

**zeldaskeeper, SwedenSpeedway, 01sonamy01, TheHumbleFellow, Alyssacookie, IHeartSonAmy, Jacklethekitsune, Mana the Cat Magician, CherrletheChicken, Welshausten, Writer's Freedom, Bullet Nick, SherryBlossom: You. guys. are. awesome. Not to mention famous and immortalized now. That is all. **

**Okay, Tails and Cream time! Now, unlike Sonic and Amy, in Chronicles there were absolutely NO TailsxCream moment or even hints. Cream was even an optional character. Unfortunately, that's true of the couple in general, in all the games. There's really no evidence or backing for it *dodges punches from diehard Taiream fans* but that's not why we love the couple... we love them because they're_ adorable,_ right?  
**

**But... as I was saying, there's nothing to play off of in the game itself, so that means I had to be creative for this chapter. If you haven't played the game, you're going to be a tad confused as to what I'm doing... but bear with me and I will rant again at the end of the chapter. Okay, I'll get out of the way and let you guys read...**

...xox...

Chapter 2: Cyclone

...xox...

_Woosh. _

Maybe getting _out_ of Nocturne hadn't been as close of a call as getting_ in_, but the exit was nerve wracking enough, even for the very experienced pilot of the Cyclone. Still, now that they were out, it was a good feeling to know that they were headed home now anyway. The Twilight Cage had been anything but friendly for the group of mismatched heroes.

Tails let out a relived sigh and leaned back into his chair, letting his bushy orange appendages curl in front to give him a fluffy border. He was trying not to grow dizzy at the swirling blues of the inter-dimensional void they were zooming through. Right now he had the Cyclone on locked auto-pilot mode, trusting that his and Eggman's programming would bring them all back home safely. When they'd put the craft through a myriad of tests, everything had turned out well, so Tails didn't have any consternation as he rode on back to Mobius.

The worst was truly over now... thanks to (who else?) Sonic. Yeah... it was always the daring hedgehog who was the hero, wasn't it? A fond smile crawled up Tails' muzzle at the thought. There really wasn't anything Sonic couldn't do, was there? As long as his big brother was around, Tails was confident that everything would turn out alright. He had absolute faith in the hedgehog that couldn't be swayed by anything.

But other than Sonic, Tails was getting a little... annoyed by most of the other members of the group. He just didn't understand why they didn't get along. Tails hated making waves. Maybe it was because he wasn't all that sure of himself and his own opinions, but he didn't like to argue and fight if he didn't have to. Why, the fox had even been willing to work with_ Eggman_, since the doctor had claimed to "reformed." Tails had been skeptical at first, but as their adventure went on, he'd proven himself to be what everyone knew about the doctor: a strong ally but a terrible enemy to have. Good thing Eggman had been the former for most of the adventure.

As for the others? While he was glad that no one had ended up seriously hurt, they were starting to wear on his nerves. But then again, Tails didn't have to deal with everyone all that much, besides one of them pestering him if the repairs were finished yet.

And then there was... _her._

Tails hadn't wanted her to come. He'd been very much against the idea. Oh, it wasn't that he _didn't like_ her... quite the contrary, actually. It was more like... he didn't want her to get hurt. This adventure had proven to be very dangerous, and Tails had taken a caring attitude toward the little girl, telling her to stay with him in the lab or back in the Cyclone when they'd gone somewhere. The only time he hadn't been uneasy was when _Sonic _was the one leading the group she was in.

But, thankfully, she had gotten out of this unmarred, which was more than he could say for, well, himself, and he was sure some of the others were injured, too. As if on cue, his right tail started throbbing, and Tails winced and gingerly stroked it with his fingers, trying to sooth some of the pain in the bushy fur. Hopefully she didn't have an injury she was hiding...

"Tails?" Her sugary sweet voice broke Tails out of his reverie and he turned to capture the lovely little bunny in his vision. One of her velvet ears was draped in front of her shoulder, revealing the soft pink hue underneath.

_Speak of the angel..._

"Hi Cream," Tails said, feeling warmth rise to his face and in his chest at her presence.

With her young, soft features and sweet smile, Cream looked so out of place here on the Cyclone, like she should be out picking flowers and singing instead of in an inter-dimensional craft right after an epic battle. Though all that proved was just how_ brave_ the rabbit was. Tails certainly admired that about her. She certainly was much braver than him.

"Hi. Are we going home now that Sonic beat that mean echidna?" she asked, her brown eyes glinting with hope.

"Chao chao?" Cheese echoed.

"Yeah, there's really no reason to stay," Tails said and turned once again back to the dimensional void, if only to hide his blush that came from admiring her.

"Good. I was a little scared earlier when you all left, but I knew you could handle it. You always have," she said, brimming with faith.

"It was Sonic who really won it for us," Tails asserted, his eyes drifting back to the various gauges lining the cluttered dashboard in front of him.

"Oh, I knew he would. He always does. We never have to worry with Sonic around. But_ you_ helped," Cream insisted, remembering.

"A little bit."

"Tails," she said gently, moving closer and resting her small hand on top of his. "You're the one who built this ship and got us through that little hole really fast. I thought for a minute that we weren't going to make it, but," she beamed, "you got us through. I knew you could do it." Her delicate fingers curved downwards to intertwine with Tails' bigger, boyish ones, immediately causing the fox to blush at her contact.

"Oh, it's no big deal, Cream. I-I just relied on the Cyclone, and it was mostly Eggman who built it..." he trailed off, not willing to meet her chestnut eyes.

"Oh, Tails, you shouldn't be so down on yourself, I know that you helped build this. If only Doctor Eggman built it, then it wouldn't have made it through all the crashes and those slimy bugs sucking the energy out. It's your skills that ended up saving us. We wouldn't have gotten in here if it wasn't for you."

Tails smiled in memory and finally turned to her. Why was it Cream could always cheer him up? She simply never failed at this. His heart warmed as he traced her soft, peach and orange colored fur surrounding a porcelain white muzzle. Cream really was pretty, with her graceful ears and gentle smile. Combine that with her polite demeanor and you had the one rabbit that could leave Tails absolutely awestruck. He continued to stare as she kept speaking.

"You should be happy! We're headed home now. Oh, I can't wait to get back. I want to tell Momma all about what happened, and then maybe me and Cheese... oh, I mean, Cheese and I," she corrected herself, remembering what Vanilla told her, "can go and pick flowers again. Everything will be back to normal."

At this, something in Tails' memory clicked, and he smiled as his baby blue eyes glimmered.

"Hey Cream... uh, you wanna see something cool?" he asked her, hoping that she wouldn't say no.

Her eyes lit up at the prospect. "Of course! What is it?"

Not answering immediately, Tails did a quick survey of the room, trying to decide if he could leave the Cyclone pilot-less for a moment and let her cruise automatically without anyone bothering it. The cockpit actually extended into the main room of the craft, meaning that was where everyone had gathered while traveling, but it was actually mostly empty at the moment.

Omega was recharging, Amy... was more than likely wherever Sonic was (Dexter... ha), Shadow was brooding in a corner, Rouge was being too quiet and staring out the window at the dimensional void, Big was... somewhere, Knuckles was with the Master Emerald, and Shade was probably with him. The only one likely to mess with the Cyclone's controls was Rouge, but she had no motivation and probably wanted to get home as much as everyone else did. The coast was clear.

He was about to turn to Cream when he heard the rabbit giggling.

"What is it?" Tails asked, though he loved the sound of her light, tinkling laugh.

"Just... hehehe... your tail..." she said, referring to the bushy appendage that had been wagging while the fox was thinking, tickling Cream's arm.

A bright crimson blush spread over his whiskers as Tails immediately pulled the offending tails away from her arm. "S-sorry..." he apologized, looking away.

"No it's fine. It was really soft, actually," Cream assured him, still smiling.

Tails laughed nervously but hopped down from the pilot seat, his red and white sneakers absorbing his weight.

"Where are we going?" Cream asked, her chocolate eyes scanning the seemingly small Cyclone. "Chao chao?"

"Just... come with me," Tails said and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers and causing Cream to blush at his gentle contact.

Tails gave her hand a gentle squeeze and winked before pulling her towards an almost hidden door. Cream couldn't help but giggle again as she followed after him, her heart beating a little faster than usual as her eyes traced his tails and his ears. Cream wasn't sure what exactly she was feeling whenever she was around Tails, how she couldn't help but smile and her stomach did this weird flipping thing, how sometimes her face felt warm and her knees weak. It was something in his brilliant blue eyes, and the way he bit his lip when he was focusing, the way his tails danced to some silent rhythm, the way he smiled, and his lips just gently turned upwards... she didn't know. But she liked it. She liked_ Tails._

Hearing footsteps, a certain black hedgehog opened his eyes and regarded Tails with a questioning glance.

Seeing his gaze, Tails spoke. "Don't worry, Shadow," Tails reassured him. "I put her on auto-pilot. We'll be home soon enough."

Shadow just grunted and his eyes drifted back to Rouge, who was still looking out the window. "I'll keep an eye on_ her._"

"Thanks Shadow," Tails said and continued leading Cream up to a door.

The portal was painted a dull gray, the same as the surrounding walls so that it almost appeared invisible. Cream gaped in wonder as it opened right in front of her.

"Tails... I didn't know that there was a door here... what's in here?"

The fox just chuckled and led her inside. It shut behind the couple with a woosh, revealing a set of spiral (space saving) stairs, leading to what looked like a well lit area below them.

"I didn't know this had a basement," Cream continued and squeezed Tails' hand.

"Well... it's not supposed to," Tails admitted, turning to look back at Cream before leading her down the stairs. "I... I wanted to show you this earlier, but you know we really didn't have time and, well..." his eyes drifted over to Cheese. "You'll see."

He made his way down the staircase, Cream on his heels. As they descended lower and lower, the landscape below was gradually revealed to the rabbit.

A gasp escaped her lips and she froze midway down the stairs as Cream suddenly realized what this place was.

Right below them was nothing other than a miniature Chao Garden, complete with a running waterfall cascading down a terraced hill, sprinkled with pink and orange flowers and, of course, all the Chao the team had collected. The little creatures were busy playing together, resting on the hills, and swimming in the water.

"Tails..." she breathed, taking in the sights. "How did you... this is...how did you _make_ this place?" Cream was simply in awe.

"Yeah," he said humbly, blushing but grinning as he scratched the back of his head, though he was glad to have pleased her. "The ceiling and walls have virtual images of landscapes and a sky, and the hills aren't real earth, but the grass and flowers are real. The hardest thing was getting the water in and the limited space we had for plumbing. Right not, it's just a continuous circuit with a purification tank in the middle, so the water doesn't get too stale. Still, it's not a long term solution for the Chao. But I thought, if we were going to bring them with us... they'd need a Garden to stay in, so I got the idea of putting a mini Chao Garden into the Cyclone. Eggman didn't think it was needed, but I told him I'd work on it, and he finally agreed. It was still a lot of work, but it was worth it, because these Chao helped us out so much... do you like it?"

Cream hadn't heard a word of Tails' speal, as her eyes were busy feasting on the beautiful landscape. It was hard to believe that Tails had actually made a miniature Chao Garden down here... but then again, it WAS Tails. There really wasn't anything the fox couldn't build. He was so smart and impressive...

"Tails..." confusion suddenly flashed through her. "Why... didn't you show me this earlier?"

"Oh... I wanted to. In fact, the whole time I was building it, I was thinking about you, and how you'd love to see this," both of them blushed at this confession. Tails scratched his head. "But as I said, I've been busy, and... well, you always kept Cheese with you and didn't change the Chao you had so... I'm just a little surprised that no one else told you. Like... Amy didn't?"

"Amy's been focused on Sonic and... " she paused and blushed, as she'd promised Amy not to tell anyone about Dexter.

"Ah," Tails said, understanding perfectly. As if Amy would get another guy other than his big brother. He smiled a little at the thought. _It's only a matter of time... Sonic can't keep his feelings hidden forever._

He shrugged the thought off and turned to Cream, when something suddenly occurred to him as the familiar cyclone of feelings flooded his heart and twirled it around. _Could what I'm feeling... be like what they have? But that's... _Tails hadn't considered_ that_ before...

The fox suddenly became very aware of her hand that was still wrapped around his and how close she was to him. He watched her every breath, searching his heart,, trying to figure this out. _C'mon Tails, you've built this artificial Chao Garden not to mention everything else you've put together... this isn't rocket science. _She was pretty, polite, and brave. What more could he want in a girl?_ But is that...do I...  
_

"Tails, I_ love_ this place," Cream abruptly said and turned to him, her brown eyes swimming in happy tears. "I... don't know what to say... can we go down there and play now?"

For a second Tails couldn't answer, as the feeling in his heart was too powerful, preventing him from forming a coherent phrase. "Cream... I... uh, sure," he said and continued on down the stairs.

His feet hit the soft grass after hopping off the last step, and Cream followed. All the chao immediately flocked to their visitors, though some stayed to play with the small green frog and large violet cat that were plopped in the corner. Big chuckled and didn't seem to notice all of his new friends leaving.

The fox and rabbit were greeted with a chorus of "_Chao! Chao! Chao! Chao!_" Cheese himself had flown off, making new friends by the second.

"Hi there," Cream said, smiling as a green and purple chao came up to her and landed on her head. Another chao, this one yellow and orange, flew up and Cream took a hold of the soft creature and clutched it to her chest, smiling.

Meanwhile, Tails was busy himself, cuddling up with a very friendly red, white, and blue chao, who had seemed to find a home in his chest fur. Another purple and blue one was flying in and around his tails.

For a while both Tails and Cream were content to just hang out and relax in the artificial garden, snuggling and nuzzling with the gentle creatures. Tails couldn't help but sneak glances at Cream, still wondering what exactly it was that he was feeling.

Little did he know that Cream was secretly watching him, too, her little heart touched that Tails had considered the Chao in the middle of building the Cyclone. Despite the fact that he spent most of his time working with lifeless machines, the fox really did have a heart of gold.

_But is it for me? _

Cream blinked in confusion at her unexpected thought. _What does that... does it matter? _

A small frown came over her face, which Tails noticed immediately.

"Cream, what is it?"

"Oh..." Cream wanted to just shrug the feeling off. "Nothing..."

Tails bit his lip and glanced back at the stairs, his mind telling him that, as the pilot, he really should go back up there and see them all home... but something stopped him. Maybe it was the sensation of Cream getting closer and closer to him, until there was no more than a square foot of space between them. Maybe it was his heart pounding in a quick beat. Or maybe it was how his breath was stolen by when he finally worked up the courage to look back at Cream.

Something had changed, over the trip. Something about how Cream had insisted that she come along, and instead of being a burden, had helped them all out, in a way only she could. Not only by being the designated peacemaker and cheerleader, but by putting Cheese to work and fighting off some of the bad guys herself. Yet, she still kept that sweet demeanor about her. And Tails had felt... worried about her during the ordeal, making sure that she was okay and didn't wander off by herself whenever they'd landed somewhere dangerous... yes, something had changed, in his heart. Cream was, quite simply, the most amazing girl he had ever met.

"Cream?" he started after swallowing the lump in his throat, daring to look into her chestnut eyes.

"Yes Tails?"

"Uh..." out of words, Tails let his eyes drift to the virtual sky, the baby blue sprinkled with cottony, fluffy clouds mirroring his own eyes. "Uh... I just... wanted to say... I..."

Cream's heart was beating so fast, she had to bring a hand up to her chest to try and calm it down. No avail. "What is it, Tails?"

His face was now redder than the chao he was holding. "Cream... I'm just... glad that you got out safely," he said softly, glad that Cream had excellent hearing. "I... don't know what I would do if you were hurt. Throughout the trip I was worried about you, but... I'm glad you could defend yourself... and find your own ways to help... and that I was there to help... Cream, I really care about you, you know that?" he admitted. "You... you're an amazing girl..." he trailed off, not believing he'd just confessed that. Oh, how would Cream react now that she knew...?

"Aw, Tails! Thanks," Cream said and smiled as she wrapped him in a gentle hug.

The fox blushed at her embrace but returned it, using not only his arms, but also shyly wrapped his bushy tails around her body, encasing the rabbit in fluff.

"That's sweet of you. I was worried for a while, about you, too... but I just knew that you'd find someway to get through it... like you always have. I've always thought it was so great that you could build everything we needed and figure anything out but... you've built a Chao Garden... I'd never thought that you could do something like this... It's just so pretty," she said, snuggling against his soft fur. "When we get back home, can you show me what else you're working on?"

Tails was blushing so hard at her compliments. "Uh.. sure Cream, if you want to... I just don't want to bore you..."

"You don't bore me, Tails..." Cream assured him and smiled. "I... care about you, too."

Wow... it was amazing how those simple words could melt the foxes heart, but they did. He smiled and brought his gloved hand up to softly caress her velvety ears, tracing them from the root all the way to the tip. Cream giggled at his touch and nuzzled into him.

"Thanks Tails, for showing me this place. And making it."

"You're welcome, Cream... but I... really should be getting back up there... to make sure we get home" his cerulean eyes drifted back to the staircase and he retracting his tails from the embrace.

"Okay, then, Tails," Cream released him and gave him a winning smile. "Thanks again... I'll see you when we get home."

Home. Yes, Tails had to make sure everyone made it back safely. For if they didn't, this whole trip would be in vain.

As Tails made the trip back up to his pilot's seat, he lingered about halfway up the staircase to take in the delightful scene of a pretty young rabbit playing with Chao, and had to smile.

Cream. Just the very thought of her made his heart leap and a smile appear. _Don't worry, Cream... I'll get us all back home. _

...xxx...

**Sorry if they're OOC, I'm not used to writing either of them. (You'll probably see this message for the rest of this story.)**

**And they didn't kiss I know... I don't want to become too predictable and end _all _these chapters in the characters kissing and... their ages... What? Don't kill me, diehard Taiream fans.  
**

**SO. This might warrant a little explanation. In the game, scattered throughout the places you could go in, there were Chao Eggs. If you collected them and waited for a while, they would hatch. Each Chao had a different ability (like, making a character attack or defend better) and if you bonded one to a certain character, then he/she would gain that ability. And you could switch the character's chao at any time. The thing I got to wondering was... once the team traveled on the Cyclone in the second half of the game... then how did they take the Chao with them? The obvious answer would be, Tails added a Chao Garden to the craft. So... I just got this idea of him showing Cream the Chao Garden. The reason she didn't know about it previously was because, in this timeline atleast, she kept Cheese as her "bonded chao" and didn't change (even though in the game you could have her change). I hope what I just said makes sense.**

**I see blank faces...**

**Okay, if you're still confused, leave question marks in your reviews and i'll try to make more sense in a PM.**

**Otherwise, hope you enjoyed! This story is now halfway done... *gasp* Yeah, I'm SURE you all are intelligent enough to realize that three cannot be split into half... so... yes, I'm adding a couple, next up is Shadouge... *gets mauled by Knouge fans* Man... I knew I should've stayed with just writing SonAmy... but... they got a little stale for me... so I'm hoping to do something different and then "rediscover" them later... anyway... I'm gone now, I hope you all liked the chapter! ;D  
**


	3. Black Coal

**Jacklethekitsune, CherrletheChicken, poka, 01sonamy01, SwedenSpeedway, ultimateCCC, Mana the Cat Magician, Welshausten:  
**

**So... now for a couple that I have NO experience in. Shadow and Rouge.. hm... I will say a few things. First off, I don't really like this couple, but I thought this might be my only chance to try them out, since I'm pairing Knuckles with Shade (a couple that I like more than Shadouge). Second, not only do I not like the couple, I just don't like Shadow in general... but anyway, I do apologize if he's OOC... I can't write Shadow all that well. Rouge, on the other hand, while she's not my favorite, I feel that I can do her character decent justice.**

**Okay, once again, in Chronicles, there are absolutely NADA Shadouge hints. None. There WAS a slight Knouge hint, that little line in the codex about there being "an unstated connection neither is overly willing to explore"... sounds interesting. **** Though, to be fair, she did also say VERY CLEARLY, "Knuckles is cute, but he's not my type. Too buttoned up for me." She said nothing about Shadow. Take that any way you're so inclined to.**

**So I had nothing to play off of and had to be creative again. But still, anyone notice that Rouge had the BEST comments in the game? Though she was probably the most useless character in combat (honestly, her POW moves were SO incredibly weak! Her best one was when she was teamed up with Knuckles... but I digress.) she sorta made up for it with her sarcasm and wit to Amy, Big, and Sonic (though her flirting with the latter made me shudder. I'll explain that in the chapter.)**

**Oh, the chapter! Right, I'll get into that. Sorry, I just_ love_ Chronicles and I'm a LITTLE opinionated. By the way, I stole the title from a song by Sanctus Real...I think the lyrics sorta fit. Check it out if you'd like. (Oh, and a BIG thanks to Jacklethekitsune for his help on this chapter...)  
**

...oxo...

Chapter 3: Black Coal

...oxo...

She didn't want to be here.

But that was always how it worked with Rouge, wasn't it? The bat never actively sought out adventure - it was always just came in a packaged deal when she'd been hunting down the Chaos Emeralds or just on a mission from GUN. First off, this had been a simple search for Knuckles... which may have interested Rouge at one point, but now... she'd moved on. That was what she told herself, anyway._ He_ certainly had moved on from her. Not that he had ever cared for her in the first place, of course. There was the new girl, the "good girl"... they'd hit it off, like they'd known each other for years. And why wouldn't they? They were both _echidnas._

She hated that word.

Sighing, Rouge turned back to the dimensional void, the glowing, brilliant lights reminding her of sapphires. No... she really didn't care for Knuckles, she decided. She never really had. Maybe... a little, a long time ago, when they'd first met. But... it had faded faster than the gleam from a fake diamond. Why should she love him, if he never cared, even a little?Why love someone when all they did was sit in front of a rock all day, and yell whenever someone came near? He hated her. So why should she even try? Besides, he was too... buttoned up, too safe for this bat. She liked her men more... dangerous. And mysterious. Sure, Knuckles was handsome, but Rouge knew she could do better than him. Much better.

And then there was... him.

Him. The enigma. The one person that Rouge could actually consider a friend, that she could actually trust. Maybe he wasn't Prince Charming, but he'd stood by her, fought with her, treated her like an equal. Which was way more than she could say about Knuckles, or anyone else for that matter. Rouge had always been out for herself, but in Shadow, for one of the first times in her life, Rouge had found... an equal. Someone that she could work with. And although he was by nature a loner, Shadow had shown that he did care about others. Why, earlier, when she and the team had first met up with him, the hedgehog had insisted that he was on a serious lookout for Omega, who'd been caught in a fight and disassembled by the Nocturnus. He'd insisted that the robot was a friend, and, they should find him. It was Shadow's way of saying that he cared about him.

_That_... had given her some sort of odd feelings. She knew that Omega, her, and Shadow had formed a sort of misfit team, vowing to stick together no matter what... but... it was still hard for Rouge to think that Shadow would open up to anyone. He had a painful past, she knew that more than anyone. The others, they just didn't understand Shadow. They thought he was just emo, depressed, violent. But Rouge... she knew the_ real _Shadow, the one that only rarely unveiled his tainted, pained heart. And in those glimpses, Rouge had caught sight of his heart - and he did care. He really did what he thought was best, despite all the background noise telling him that he was something he wasn't. Underneath it all, Shadow did actually _have feelings_. He masked them well, sure... but she knew he'd had a rough past. And now he claimed that he was finally past it and ready to move on.

But still, every time she tried to get him to open up, he'd closed down, froze up. So he was scared of being hurt again. She got that, but what could she do?

And what was _she_ feeling?

Risking a quick glance behind her, Rouge let her teal eyes crawl up and down his body, starting at his skates, up his firmly toned, lean body, and ending at his red streaked quills. No, Shadow was certainly not bad looking. At all. But no... it wasn't just looks with Shadow. She'd seen a side of him that most didn't know existed. He wasn't the heartless, mindless killer that everyone believed he was. He was more. Rouge knew that that. And Rouge would trust the shady hedgehog with her life. And, well, she cared about Shadow more than she was willing to admit. He was one of the few people that she was willing to risk her own neck for.

But was it more than just... friendship? Could it be something... deeper? She found herself thinking about him more and more, and turned the idea of her and him_ together _over and over in her mind. Why was it that her heart had soared so much when he'd appeared? Why had he seemed so protective of her in battle? He wasn't like that with anyone else. And she... never thought of anyone quite this way before. Oh, sure, she'd had _boyfriends_ and_ flames_... but Shadow? He... had made a sort of connection in her heart. He had left footprints, penetrating deeper than almost anyone ever had. Rouge found herself _caring_ about him and thinking about him more than she ever had about anyone. Even if he didn't seem to be overly willing to share his feelings, Rouge noticed things about him. He treated her like he treated no one else.

He was mysterious.

But Rouge enjoyed a challenge.

A noise caught her sensitive hearing, and Rouge turned. The young'ins were talking and heading down to the Chao Garden. Wait... wasn't Foxboy supposed to be flying this thing? She was about to question him, when she heard him say to Shadow, "Don't worry, I put her on autopilot. We'll be home soon enough."

_The genius. _

A smile lit up Rouge's face until she heard Shadow's response. "I'll keep an eye on _her_."

_Oh, you will, will ya? C'mon then, big boy... I'm ready for you.  
_

Her ears picked up the sound of the door slamming and then Shadow's distinct strides heading over to her. Her smile returned. This would be fun.

"You're being awful quiet." His deep voice sent shivers up Rouge's spine, but she composed herself.

"You're one to talk," she shot back, her teal eyes catching his red ones as she smirked at him.

"Hmph." Shadow turned from her face to the dimensional void.

"I'm just anxious to get home," Rouge admitted, running her hand through ivory locks of hair. "We've been in this rodeo long enough, if you ask me."

"We did what we had to," Shadow said, crossing his arms. "Ix has been defeated. Omega has been avenged. Time to head back to find out what the Doctor has been up to."

"No good, more than likely."

He grunted in response, and let his eyes drift back over to the bat. He could always tell when there was something bothering her, and now there certainly was. It was in the little things: her quietness, the way her eyes lost some of their luster and alertness. Shadow knew Rouge better than she knew herself. And he knew how much all of her shallow little lovers were tearing her up from the inside, breaking more and more of her heart and never filling it. He could see it happening, plain as day. Shadow didn't like to see her wasting herself with all those different guys that didn't care a lick about her, that didn't see the incredible woman that she truly was. He... was the only one who knew the real Rouge. He was the only one who would treat her right, like she deserved. He knew that.

But she never would.

Why someone as intelligent as her could not discern this, he would never guess. Probably because her heart and feelings was involved, clouding her judgment. That's always the problem, isn't it? With feelings. They just got in the way of everything. He himself, had long since built an impenetrable wall around his heart, trying not to let anything affect him. The last time he'd allowed someone in, she'd been taken from him so cruelly and suddenly. He couldn't let that happen again.

But Rouge... now there was a girl that hadn't given up on him, when everyone else had dismissed him. She had stood by him, loyally. He'd never had an ally quite like Rouge before. And that... that gesture had poked a very tiny hole into his wall, and tugged at his still-tender heartstrings.

But was it more than just friendship? It was almost scary how often he entertained that thought and wondered. Especially recently. She'd been popping up in his thoughts an awful lot. Even though her behavior hadn't been out of the ordinary (she'd offered to sneak out with them to do some real work while Faker insisted on doing some pointless mission), she'd still seemed... off. What could be bothering her?

His only hypothesis was that it had something to do with _Knuckles, _and the new echidna, Shade. He'd always payed close attention to their relationship, watched Rouge continue to fail with him, wondering why she kept trying. He'd seen her interest fade over the past few weeks, as when Faker had left Knuckles had become even more grouchy. He'd seen it, and he'd wondered. Would she move on?

Another sigh emitted from her lips, and Shadow studied her expression. A frown had etched its way onto her beautiful features. Really, it wasn't often that someone as confident as Rouge allowed herself to appear so vulnerable. Could it be that she felt that comfortable around him?

"Something's bothering you." It wasn't a question.

Rouge's head snapped over to him, her frown becoming confused before she forced a smile. "Why would you think that?" she muttered sarcastically. It wasn't like Shadow to be so... personal. Usually it was always business with him.

"It's about Knuckles." Again, Shadow didn't ask. He cut right to the chase.

For about a second Rouge just stared at him, trying like so many times before to peel away his mask and figure out his true intentions. "I'm over that _echidna,_ Shadow. That's in my past. Like you, I know how to move on. He has another_ echidna_ just like him." She really,_ really_ hated that word.

His facial muscles didn't move, but Shadow's mind was spinning. So. Knuckles was a has-been to her now. Some odd, unfamiliar feeling tugged at his heart, but he ignored it.

Seeing his non-reaction and mistaking it to think that he didn't believer her, she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not an idiot, Shadow. I know he's not my type. He's not worth the agony. Though he is fun to wind up, I like my men a little more... _naughty_."

Shadow's heart flipped at the comment, but again, he ignored it. "It's not like you to give up."

"It's not like you to care," she snapped, but instantly regretted the words._ Dangit, Rouge, why'd ya have to go and say **that**? You **finally** got Shadow to show some interest, show some care, and you snap at him? Get a grip._

At his emotionless reaction, she continued.

"I never loved him, Shadow. Maybe I did briefly, but... me and him... it would never work out. I realized there's no point in caring for someone who will never return those feelings and is always rude to you."

Something clicked in Shadow's brain at those words. But could she mean...

"He's not my type," she said again. "I've decided to move on to the one who's _always_ been there for me."

"I'm not surprised," Shadow rasped, missing the second half of her sentence, only hearing that she'd wanted to move on.

She glanced his way. "You don't want to know who it is?" she asked in a sultry voice.

Shadow just grunted, causing Rouge to smirk, glad that she was back in control of the conversation. "I'll give you a hint. He's a hedgehog."

Hatred ran through Shadow's veins as his mind conjured up the worst possible scenario. "Faker?" he hissed.

Rouge didn't know whether to laugh or shudder. "Oh please, Shadz, I may be a thief but I don't rob the cradle." _Zing! _"That was just to make Pinky mad."

Something akin to relief hit Shadow. So... not Faker? That was good. He didn't know if he could stomach his best friend dating his worst rival. But then that meant...

A deep, warm blush spread over his face, and Shadow turned to hide the unfamiliar emotion. Did that mean... It wasn't possible that she... loved him. Was it? Sure, she'd vowed to stand by him no matter what, but...

_No, Shadow, she doesn't love you. She just needs someone else to mess around with._

His hands formed fists at his sides, and he could already feel the Chaos Spear forming from anger.

He was about to turn and snap at her, but her delicate, feminine hand came to rest on his shoulder, as Rouge angled herself in front of him. Now that they were face to face, Shadow's heart was pounding at an incredible rate, threatening to tear his whole chest apart as he stiffened up. Her beautiful face was drawing dangerously close to his as her other hand had made its way into his quills.

_What's wrong with you? It's just Rouge! Pull away from her, you idiot!_

Something stopped him from doing just that, and the Ultimate Lifeform trembled in the presence of a mere mortal, who was doing nothing but holding him tenderly.

The next thing Shadow knew, Rouge had pulled him into her silky lips, caressing his own pair. His eyes flew open as unfamiliar but very pleasant sensations flooded his body, freezing him to the spot yet warming him completely. He felt like his whole body was being turned inside out and doused in pleasure as Rouge kissed him. He'd never, ever felt anything _close_ to this in his_ life_. The hand that had been on his shoulder drifted down, and her fingers weaved their way through his fluffy chest.

He'd succumbed, and he'd never _felt_ this_ good_ in his entire life.

Still, a voice screamed in his head, as always._ No, no, you can't give in to her! You have to pull away! She'll end up getting hurt, dead... and you won't forgive yourself. You must steel yourself, and be strong!_

He broke the kiss and tried to narrow his eyes, but the hurt look in her teal ones prevented him from being too angry.

"I don't want to be one of your toys," he hissed._ I don't want to ruin our friendship. You're one of the only things I care about - don't ruin it!  
_

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Why did his rejection hurt so much? "Do you really think that's all you are to me, Shadow? Don't you know that you're the only one I've ever been able to trust, to open up to? You've always been there for me. And I... I love you."

Wait... what?

No one..._ no one_... had _ever_... told _Shadow the Hedgehog_ those three words. No one since... but she'd meant it in a different way... then Rouge did... right now...

Shadow blinked at her confession, his eyes rapidly searching hers. She looked so raw, so vulnerable... so unlike how she usually did. Had she really been harboring all of this deep in her heart... for him?

"I love you, Shadow," she repeated. "Believe me... I wouldn't say that if I didn't truly mean it."

Something awful strange was happening in his heart. The organ had softened, almost to the point of becoming wax. It was all at once painful and amazingly pleasurable. He tried to bring his hand up to let it rest on his chest, but on the ascent, his hand found it's way to Rouge's curvy waist. Feeling led by this mystery emotion, Shadow brought his other hand up to rest it on her other side before curling both around behind her back, under her wings. Their faces were now only inches apart, and the tip of Shadow's nose grazed hers.

"Rouge..." Shadow said with more tenderness than he was aware that he possessed. "I..." his normally strong, confident voice was gone. He was unsure, he was scared almost. "I don't know what to say... My heart is feeling so strange... I think I may... love you too." He paused as he turned a deeper crimson than his quill highlights. "I don't know... there's something, in my heart, calling for you. I've... never felt this way before..."

Intense joy bubbled up in the girl's heart. _"Shadow..."_

She couldn't continue, for said hedgehog had pulled her closer into his arms and pressed his lips against hers, for once letting his heart lead his actions. And he had no regrets as he held Rouge in his arms, enjoying her kisses and the newfound feelings she gave him. After a minute he pulled away, still not sure what this all meant... but he knew one thing... this girl, in his arms... was someone he didn't think he could live without.

And as Rouge stared deeper into his ruby eyes than she ever had before, she knew. She had found a rare diamond, trapped in the black coal of Shadow's heart. Which now belonged to her. And hers... to him.

...xxx...

**Wow... I will say this... writing outside your favorite pairings can be dangerous. But... don't fear... this is an aberration. Though I must say that while I have gained a newfound respect for this couple... I still think they work better as friends.**

**I know, a lot of thoughts/drabble and a little action, but that's just how I roll, guys. 8D I like to write buildup and thoughts... and I think it fit the situation. Because I've never written about this couple... I guess I just wanted to explore them mentally and my thoughts just poured out.**

**Meh, either way I had fun. :D Hope you all enjoyed... and thanks in advance for your reviews.**


	4. One and Only

**Welshausten, Jacklethekitsune, Mana the Cat Magician, LivingFire, 01sonamy01, IHeartSonAmy, CherrletheChicken, the holograph of rugtugba, poka, Novus Umbra, XoxoSonamy440oxoX, EmoGlaceon, Writer's Freedom: You guys are too nice to me, you know that? Thanks a ton! :D  
**

**My long author notes are actually in the text itself this chapter. I get the feeling that's how it should be, let the writing speak for itself...  
**

...ooo...

Chapter 4: One and Only

...ooo...

A low grunt escaped Knuckles' throat as he set down his most prized possession in the middle of the engine room. As strong as the echidna was, it seemed like carrying the Master Emerald always took a lot out of him. Maybe because the gem was so dear to him and bursting with Chaos Energy, making it a big load for anyone. That, or he was still nursing aches and pains, fresh off the battle of the millennium.

Or it was in his mind anyway. No one else seemed to see the magnitude of the situation.

Knuckles wasted no time in hooking up the oversized Emerald to the engine, letting it power the Cyclone to break the dimensional barriers so they could get the heck out of this freaky world and back home. _Home._

"Everything okay in there, Knuckles?" Tails' young voice called over the intercom, making sure he could take off.

"Yep, it's all good now Tails. Bring us home," he called back to one of the few people he could consider a friend.

Within seconds the Cyclone purred to life and shot the heroes into the dimensional void, back towards their own world. Back where they belonged. Well, nine out of ten of the group, anyway.

Finally allowing himself to exhale, Knuckles tore his gaze away from the Master Emerald, letting his mind rehash the recent whirlwind of events.

...xxx...

For all of his sixteen years, there had been a few things that Knuckles had taken as gospel truths.

1. He was the Guardian of the Master Emerald.

2. He was the last echidna.

That was what Knuckles knew. Both truths had defined his whole existence up until... recently.

But he'd become content with his simple, somewhat boring life. He'd had to. It was his duty. His destiny. His lot in life. He didn't have the luxury of running around where he pleased or freely searching for treasure like_ some_ people he knew. He was stuck. On Angel Island. As the last echidna. Carrying out his duty, day after day. It was something that had been thrust upon him - yet he clung to it. For it was his life. The Master Emerald was his past, present, and future. So he was proud - of who he was and his heritage.

And then, quite out of nowhere, there was... _her._

The first time he'd seen her, Knuckles had been guarding the Master Emerald, just like he did day after day, when she'd appeared and fought him, finally winning and taking away the powerful relic. At the time, Knuckles didn't even know who she was, let alone that she was an echidna.

He'd been put in some sort of prison by these technologically advanced...things, but that couldn't keep him for long. Soon enough, he'd been able to free himself and ran into Sonic, who'd finally come back after his long trip. Knuckles had agreed to work with him and the others, but only to get his Master Emerald back. He didn't take to people stealing it. Still, throughout the adventure, his mind had kept easing back to that strange encounter. Finally, one thing led to another, and Knuckles and his assailant were about to go at it once again, when the unthinkable happened.

Shade had revealed her true identity. He'd been stunned to see the dreadlock quills, peach muzzle, and lavender eyes hiding behind all of that armor... She was the only other echidna that he'd ever laid eyes on. And he was beginning to think that she would be the only one he'd ever need or want to.

But before he could even have time to recover from his shock, Knuckles had been forced to fight her - only to be put in awe by her skills. Sure, she relied on technology, but there was no denying that she was an incredible fighter.

The next few hours were a blur. He couldn't remember anything but following Sonic around and fighting, as his mind had just been on one thing:

_I'm not the last... _

_There are others...  
_

_I don't have to be alone anymore..._

_Her. _

But... it didn't matter if they were echidnas, did it? They were the enemies. He'd finally found someone to understand his past and his duty and his existence... and they were the bad guys.

It almost wasn't fair.

Still - Knuckles wasn't a whiner. He took his lumps like a man and dealt with his problems using his fists. He just kept his mouth shut and kept fighting, as he'd vowed to protect the Master Emerald from all foes - including echidnas.

But then... she'd turned. When Ix had revealed his true plot to take over their world and not just return to it, then Shade had broke away from him, wanting nothing to do with his evil plans. Of course, Ix had discarded her, almost killed her, and Knuckles... well, he didn't remember any thoughts flooding his mind, only his body springing into automatic action. He'd saved her from a nasty fall. Why? Because... to him, Shade equaled_ hope_. Especially since she'd defied Ix. So maybe, not all the Nocturnus were evil.

He'd come to know and respect her over the trip. She was serious, not wasting words. She was intelligent, sharper than a sword. She was unrelenting in combat, being trained well. And most of all, Shade understood him. They'd hit it off like they knew each other for years. Knuckles found himself telling her things he wouldn't tell anyone else. She was an equal.

...xxx...

Knuckles' decision concerning Ix hadn't been as easy as everyone had made it out to be. Normally Knuckles was a simple guy who lived by a few rules. There was him, and his emerald. But when they had appeared... that had all changed. And the others... they just didn't understand.

They never did.

Sonic... well, the hedgehog never could get his eyes off_ himself _and his own bravado, but that was nothing new. Sonic had just thought he was crazy when Knuckles suggested that maybe they weren't doing the right thing by going after Ix. Of course; Sonic saw everything so simply, in black and white, good and evil. Knuckles... he _knew_ that there were shades of gray. That was why he was willing to trust Eggman if the doctor gave him a reason to. And maybe Ix wasn't as bad as he seemed...

The others weren't any more help. Tails hadn't even noticed that he'd been having a internal conflict... and was too young to be of much help anyway. And where else could he go? Amy? Too busy making up fake boyfriends because she couldn't get a real one. Shadow? Why the heck would _he_ care? Omega? He was a robot without any shred of feelings. Big or Cream? Please. And don't get him started on_ Batgirl, _who only loved to hear _herself_ talk_._

But Shade? Whole different story._ She _understood. She took time to listen and help him work out his inner conflict. Knuckles had never been so torn, so... confused in his life. He'd believed one thing his whole life, only to have that whole idea pulled out from under him, leaving him shaken to the core. They were echidnas. He'd been shocked. Knuckles had never been one to share his thoughts or feelings, as he'd always been alone, with his own speculations.

But then she had come... an echidna... just like him.

It was a strange feeling that Shade gave him. She made him feel... like he was understood. He'd never even considered that was something that he'd been_ craving_ before. That wasn't the only feeling she gave him, however... there was also something... deeper, stronger tugging at his heart. Something he couldn't attach words to.

And ultimately, Shade was what had sealed the deal on his final decision. Yes, his guardianship played a large role. But it was because of Shade, and the hope that she gave him, that Knuckles hadn't sided with Ix in the end. In maybe the most important decision of his life so far, he'd stuck to his guns, his heritage, his duty, and his friends.

All because of her.

...ooo...

Shade had never seen anything like this before.

The most mismatched group of heroes she'd ever encountered, working together to save the world despite their blatant differences. Growing up as a member of the "long lost" Nocturnus clan, all Shade had known up to this point was training for war and combat. She didn't know much about friendship, about defiance, about humor, about... _love_. It was just a very different world.

Led by a rather... erratic hedgehog, this group had defied Lord Ix and fought to save the world against all possible odds. Why, the Nocturnus had far advanced technology - this group had the otherwise impressive but inferior in comparison Cyclone. The Nocturnus lived off leech blades and warp belts - this team had only their own natural abilities, such as super speed, super strength, and hammers that appeared out of nowhere. The Nocturnus were raised to be soldiers - while the members of this gang appeared to be self taught. They were, quite simply, impressive and inspiring. Shade was honored to work with all of them.

She'd been impressed by their quasi-leader, Sonic, yes, as he was just an extraordinary individual. But there was another figure that had caught her eye... and that was the lone echidna of their group, Knuckles. He was the one who kept them all on track, who took absolutely no bull from anyone, who was serious and obviously devoted to his duty as a Guardian. He was incredibly strong, too. He was the one who impressed her the most. Why, he'd stuck up with her and was willing to give her a chance, when most of the other members were rightfully suspicious.

Why, the first time she'd captured him in her vision without her mask, she'd been shocked. She wasn't sure if there would be any more of Pachacamac's descendants left after Perfect Chaos had destroyed them all... but here he was. Knuckles was a sort of testament to the strength of her clan's old rivals: despite everything, he was still there, and he was still holding on.

Ultimately, Knuckles was an inspiration for her. He had her thinking that maybe, there could be more to her life than fighting.

Which is why, as soon as they had piled back into the Cyclone after the battle, Shade had sought him out... to get more answers.

...xxx...

The door to the engine room opened silently, and Shade slipped in, hoping that she wasn't disturbing Knuckles. It was times like these that she desperately missed her warp belt and its accompanying ability to teleport. But if she hadn't given it up to help repair the Cyclone, then none of them would be heading back home now.

She tread quietly across the floor, approaching the stoic guardian, who was standing like a statue in front of the large, shiny Emerald.

"It's quite beautiful," Shade breathed, walking up beside Knuckles in front of the Master Emerald, letting her eyes feast on the glowing gem. "All the technology that my clan has created really does pale in comparison to power of this wonderful Emerald."

Knuckles turned his head and smiled, glad that it was her. He really,_ really _didn't want to see anyone _else_ at this point. "Yes, it is. The legends say that the gods created it to balance out the powers of the Chaos Emeralds."

"Gods..." Shade mused. "Some of my people believe that a higher being might have been what brought us into the exile of the Twilight Cage in the first place, since we were becoming too powerful by conquering the world. To balance out the power. So that would be consistent."

"I don't know, Shade. It's possible. "

A silence followed, along with the customary awkwardness; the two echidnas stood together, just a few feet apart, breathing the same stale air of the Cyclone. After a few seconds Knuckles shifted his weight and crossed his arms, not used to some one else being with him there. Not that he minded that _she _was here...

"I've been meaning to thank you," Shade suddenly said, breaking the ice and trying to start a conversation. "For saving me from falling off of..."

"Angel Island," Knuckles offered, a small smile appearing. "Don't mention it."

"Knuckles..." she paused, not sure exactly where this anxiety and nervousness was coming from. It was very unlike her. "Why... why did you save me? At the time, I was your enemy. I had tried to kill you. And yet, you forgot about that to risk your own life to dive after me."

He turned back to her, his heart skipping as he traced her terracotta and cream-dipped quills that complimented her light, lilac eyes so well. Why _had_ he saved her? Not because of her beauty that was so entrancing him now...

"I... you gave me hope," he said simply. "I've been the last my whole life, Shade... you know this. And when I saw you defy Ix... that you might not be... evil... I acted. I hate to see a life wasted, either way. But you..." he trailed off, out of words. Or atleast, the thoughts were there, but he didn't know how to portray them. "I just had to save _you_."

Perplexed at his answer, Shade tilted her head. His muzzle was starting to take on the same color as his quills. Why was he embarrassed?

She sighed. "I still can't believe that I... was so blind, by trusting Ix." Shade looked shamefully down at her boots. "Why didn't I see the signs of what his true plans were? Maybe if I hadn't wanted to go to your world so much, I would have been paying more attention. I... trusted too much, let my heart get in the way."

"You shouldn't be ashamed," Knuckles said, glancing at her. "It happens to me all the time."

Her lavender eyes captured his deeper violet ones. "What do you mean?"

"I take others at their word, always. I tell the truth and expect as much back. And for awhile, I wanted to side with Ix, too."

"But in the end you didn't. Why is that, Knuckles?"

"I remembered what was truly valuable to me."

_Truly valuable._.. why did those words strike Shade so hard?

_Because you've never considered or felt anything like this before..._

This was so odd... Knuckles was making her think and feel things she didn't know were possible in the training grounds of the Nocturnus. He brought out a side of her she didn't know existed. And she'd only known him for how long?

Her eyes drifted over his unclothed body and she found heat rising to her cheeks. She wasn't used to seeing a male... without armor covering him. She shook the indecent thought out of her head and forced her eyes off of his incredibly toned and muscular arms and abs.

"And... you." He glanced back at the Master Emerald for a second, and then back at the female echidna.

"Me?" Shade now found herself blushing deeply, not used to all of these intense emotions flooding her veins, fueled by a rapidly pumping heart.

"Yes," he breathed. "_You_... reminded me of who I truly am. I've never met anyone quite like you, Shade."

For a minute, lavender and violet eyes met, exchanging feelings that words couldn't quite convey.

"Knuckles... when we get back to your world..."

The guardian snapped out of his trance, back to reality. "I'll be guarding the Master Emerald. Just like I always have."

She lifted her head up and was about to say, _ "You are a very admirable man. Out of all the men I've worked with... you stand out.." _But the words somehow got choked in her throat.

_Why can't you tell him?_ It seemed silly to be stuttering over such a simple statement, but Shade had never felt this way around a man before. She found herself enthralled by his every movement, gesture, breath. How long had she known him? And yet...

She ended up saying, "You've always been alone, haven't you?"

"For the most part. That's how I wanted it, though."

Shade frowned at this comment, but Knuckles outdid her expression. "I-I mean, it's not that I don't want company... but... my main visitors have been Sonic,_ Batgirl, **Eggman**,_ or some one else trying to steal the Master Emerald. No one who understands..." he trailed off and diverted his gaze, wondering how that last statement had slipped out from his normally guarded, unemotional speech...

Shocking both of them, Shade reached over to break the touch barrier, gently taking his much larger hand in hers.

"I do."

A strange blush came over his muzzle, but Knuckles warily raised his indigo eyes to meet her lilac ones. Her hand was petite compared to his huge one, yet, Knuckles could feel the heat of her gentle contact spread all throughout his body.

"I know."

More seeming eons of silence passed between the echidnas, when Knuckles suddenly reached to take her other hand, clasping it gently inside the protection of his powerful fists.

"Shade..."

"Knuckles...?"

"I...I've never felt this way, around _anyone_ before, Shade. Normally I don't let my guard down, as I can't... I don't know what it means, but... all throughout this trip, I have never ceased to be impressed by you. Your knowledge, your skills, your beauty..."

Somehow, with each passing word, Knuckles had sneaked up closer to Shade, so they were now so very close to each other, breathing the same air. Emotions and long-suppressed hormones were running high for both of them. The only part of Shade that wasn't paralyzed by the male echidna's actions were her eyelids, cloaking his image from her sight for a long moment.

"Knuckles, I've never felt this way, either. I've never met a man as strong and determined and handsome as you..."

Her heart was now pounding at a rate she didn't believe was possible as she felt Knuckles' face move closer and closer._ Is he going to kiss me? _Oh, why did she want him to do that so much? She craved his touch, his embrace... Shade was now blushing up a storm as his lips approached her own pair, ready to encase them...

He turned, exposing a crimson hued cheek. "Shade... As a guardian... I've never been able to get close to anyone before. I don't know if this would work or if I _could_ do this."

Something like disappointment hit her, but Shade tapped into the more logical side of her brain. "I understand, Knuckles. I know you have a duty and I respect that. We don't have to jump into anything too fast. But Knuckles, if there's anything I've learned from you all and that you've taught me... it's that you shouldn't be afraid... to_ care_. And to love."

His heart warmed at this statement, and Knuckles turned back to Shade, her lavender eyes melting his heart further. "You're right... and if there's anything I've learned from you, it's that... some things are worth caring about..."

And with that, Knuckles leaned forward, breaking all air between them to finally kiss the girl. Her lips were warm, sweet, and soft, and they made his heart pound like crazy. His hands left hers and curled around her waist, pulling her slender yet strong body up close to his. Shade melted into his arms, her own hands finding their way up to his dreadlock quills. She felt like she was spinning around in bliss.

Never, ever had either echidna felt like this before... never had they been willing to let their guards down... never had they felt understood. Not until... they met each other.

Knuckles was the one to break the kiss, a light smacking sound resulting from their lips parting. He stared deeply into the pinkish lilac swirls of her eyes, feeling a joy and tenderness and love bubble into his heart.

A rare smile lit up Shade's face. "Knuckles... when we get back... I'll be there. On Angel Island, guarding your Emerald. With you."

"Nothing could make me happier, Shade..." Knuckles said honestly, and then leaned forward to kiss her once more, as the Cyclone finally broke out of the dimensional void, bringing all 10, much more happy heroes back home.

End

...ooo...xxx...ooo...xxx...ooo...


End file.
